Conventional audio based power switch controllers are usually limited to only being able to control one type of device (e.g., a light bulb). This is because the signal analyzing circuitry is directly wired to the device. Different types of electrical devices require different circuitry and once a design is finalized, it cannot be changed. For example, a motor cannot be controlled by circuit design specifically for a light.
In addition, conventional “color organ” device (electromechanical devices built to represent sound or to accompany music in a visual medium) generally use circuitry (usually bandpass and peak detector circuits) to separate the different frequencies in an analog signal and the frequencies selected cannot be changed once the design is finalized.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved electrical device control that uses a microprocessor to control switches so that a variety of different electrical devices are compatible by simply altering the control signals from the controller. This allows different devices to be controlled with the same frequency data. Using a microprocessor also allows for extreme flexibility when it comes to frequency data gathering; for example, and not by way of limitation, using algorithms (FFT), receiving data from a DSP, or reading a bandpass and peak detector circuit. These methods are also more reliable and accurate when compared to previous color organ type devices.
Further, previous devices were also designed as a single piece of hardware. An advantage of present disclosure is that the disclosed electrical device controller modular system comprises separate components and different communication techniques can be used at different points in the system. Hardwired or wireless (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc) communication can be used to transmit the audio signal from the audio source to the controller or to transmit control signals from the controller to the switches. The use of switches in present disclosure also offers isolation of the different electrical components. The microprocessor operates on low DC voltage, but the isolation allows the control signals to control 120 V AC devices. The switches can also control battery operated devices.
Other conventional electrical device controllers may specify mechanical switches to control the peripheral devices. Those mechanical switches use a magnetic field to switch on and off and are slow and require a lot of power to operate. But with the new technology of Solid State Relays as the potential switches in the present disclosure, there is virtually no limit on switch toggling speed, and the control signals can be low power.